I’m Coming Back!

Where has the time gone? Little miss Naomi is already 3 months old and I am rested (well as rested as a new mama can be!) and ready to get back in the saddle! Starting next week, I’ll begin meeting with clients again and will be working Tuesday thru Thursday at either my office on the West side in Middleton or my home office on the East side of Madison.

The past 3 months have been life changing and life challenging—in good ways—all at the same time. While I was on maternity leave, I had plenty of opportunities to think about how I can continue to serve and encourage you to really press on and live a more healthy, balanced life.

Having said that, I’m pretty sure we’re all well aware that making positive lifestyle changes requires a little effort on our parts. Therefore, I’ve identified 4 key areas I believe we ALL need to spend some time focusing on in order to prioritize what’s most important while working to achieve our health and weight loss goals at the same time.

So if you’re ready for some change, let’s get going!

1. Sleep

I have always LOVED to sleep and typically had no problem falling and staying asleep at night. Because I understood the importance of sleep, I always made it a priority to get as much as possible. Enter Naomi. Bye-bye regular sleep schedule as I know it! I realize I will be getting less sleep during this season of life, however it has reminded me to remind YOU how important it is. So just in case you haven’t heard these before, here are some of the important benefits of sleep:

In the short term, a lack of adequate sleep can affect judgment, mood, ability to learn and retain information, and may increase the risk of serious accidents and injury. In the long-term, chronic sleep deprivation may lead to a host of health problems including obesity, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and even early mortality. Yowsas!

2. Saying No

Last year, we wrote a 2 part series on “Saying yes to saying no.” This is an important key to living a healthy, balanced life. There were many times during my maternity leave that I had to say no, and being the people pleaser that I am, it was actually very difficult for me. For example, I love community and spending time with my friends. One day, one of my friends called and asked if she could come over and see the baby. Even though I really wanted to spend some time with her, I was very tired and knew that I needed to sleep when the baby slept that afternoon. So I gently told her that it wasn’t a good day for us and honored my need for rest. I know that may seem like a silly example, but my point here is that a lot of “little” yeses can lead to exhaustion and over-scheduling. See how saying no can help you with point #1 – more sleep!

A question I want you to consider is, “Who are you surrounding yourself with?” I cannot express how important it is to have people around you that can and will show unconditional love and support. I have been blessed by so many wonderful friends and people in my community group from church who provided “healthy” meals for almost a whole month after Naomi was born. It was a great reminder of how much we need each other. Do you have people in your life that can encourage and bless you when help and support are needed?

4. The “Should I” Game

After I had Naomi, I struggled with something new for me: what I call the “Should I” game. I’m referring to the mind games we play when we go about life comparing ourselves to others. Here are a few examples of some very common thoughts that seemed to cross my mind multiple times over the past few months:

• Should I be doing more by this time? Sally was back at work 3 weeks after she had her baby.

• Should my body be bouncing back faster? Sally’s stomach was back to being flat again only a few weeks after she had her baby.

• Should I really take a nap? Sally has been back at work for weeks and I should not need a nap—I should be getting everything done on my to-do list by now!

Do any of these thoughts ring a bell? Even if you’ve never had a baby, you probably get what I mean. For instance, how about this all too familiar thought:

• Should I have lost more weight by now? Sally’s been eating well and lost 10 pounds already.

What are the thoughts that seem to regularly “plague” you? I have learned very quickly that this thinking process is NOT healthy. In fact, if I’m being totally honest, I have to frequently remind myself that everyone and every “body” is different, and that means I have to listen to mine and what it may be trying to tell me. I’ve seen so many clients have their health goals sabotaged by comparing themselves to someone else that appears to be further along. The result of this type of thinking is that they give up, and it’s usually right before they’re about to reach a breakthrough. We are a society that does not listen to our bodies and likes quick fixes. This means that many people do harmful things to their metabolism to yield quick results, but not long-lasting ones that actually produce change. Health is not a short-term plan; it’s a lifestyle.

As I’m typing this, I’m thinking of a note I recently received from a client thanking me for encouraging her to keep going. The last time I had met with her, she was discouraged because she was not losing weight as quickly as she thought she should. I reminded her it takes time to heal your body and just two months following our conversation—after she made the decision to keep going—she has almost reached her goal. What would have happened if instead of pushing forward, she had simply decided to give up?

I know I have highlighted some of these areas before, but it’s because they are the most common roadblocks I see that interfere with many of my client’s abilities to achieve the results they are so desperately hoping for. Sometimes it takes several gentle reminders for us to break the cycle and evaluate where things might be going wrong.

So do yourself a favor and as we usher in a new spring season, take some time to see if you also need to usher in some positive lifestyle changes. Remember: if you don’t like where you’re going, then it’s time to stop and switch directions. You never know…it just might change your life!

Categories

Testimonials

You are what you eat!

Tracie was a presenter at a seminar I attended. I was so impressed with her presentation and information that I signed up for her 8 week class on the spot. I was simply amazed at what I learned in class each week. You will be amazed to learn what is healthy for and why what you thought you were eating that was healthy really isn’t. I had previously seen a Nutritionist at my clinic. The comparison of what I learned and the help I received goes vastly beyond day and night. I have lost 25 pounds and feel so much better. The only complaint I have is that the class ended. Tracie is one of those special people who’s main objective is helping you improve yourself and reach your goals. Maybe part of that is she practices what she preaches, after all they say “You are what you eat.” Shouldn’t you know what’s really good for you to be eating? Shouldn’t you learn from a proven experienced guru?

Stu

Lori puts her big girl pants on!

This note is way overdue. Just a BIG THANK YOU! For all you have done for me via education on food. My life is totally different now and I have never felt this good. So much I did not know or understand. Once I was told I was pre-diabetic it was a big kick in the pants. The reality of what I was doing to myself loomed over me and I finally had to put on my big girl pants and deal with it. But without the knowledge I had gained from you, I am not sure that putting on my big girl pants would have been enough. I needed to understand how the food affected my body. As of now, I have lost more than 15 pounds. My body is still healing, but that is the difference, Tracie…it is healing. So thank you and God Bless!!!

LS – Madison

Dave is enjoying the transformation!

I feel better than I have in years. I am super happy about the transformation (and the continuation of more transformation)! All thanks to you!

Dave

Shelley has reached the next level!

I honestly have nothing to offer for critiques and anything I’d like to see different on the class…it totally exceeded my expectations and I feel so lucky to have found you, this information, and to live where I live with all the resources I have around me. This was truly a phenomenal class that was exactly what I needed to get me to the next level in nutrition and health. I have believed since I was little that healing ourselves should be natural and from our food sources.

Well done..I like the power point since I’m visual, I love the recipes and meal plans, snack ideas, especially the calorie count of them as well as the info on the handouts to reference.

I just want to tell everyone!!

Shelley

Aaron is back better than ever!

My name is Aaron Stecker and I am 10 year NFL veteran. I was injured at the end of last season but I did not want that injury to be the end of my career. I wanted to make a come back. My fantastic trainer recommended that I meet with Tracie and discuss how diet changes could help me reach my performance goals. I was happy that he recognized how a balance between the right exercise and nutrition can make all the difference. Tracie taught me how to balance my protein, carbs and fats so that I was able to have better workouts and less cravings. I also learned about the best types of foods to support metabolism and to decrease inflammation. The food recommendations surprised me but they worked. I am now at the weight and speed that I was during my rookie season and I am really excited to have a great year.

Thanks Tracie!

Aaron Stecker

Angie heals her digestive issues.

I sought Tracie’s guidance amidst a whirlwind of dietary confusion after versing myself on many conflicting diets. She cleared my frustrations with sound advise and teachings that fostered an understanding of her recommendations. This allowed me to focus my efforts and enact distinct changes consistently to my diet. This consistency produced results in the form of my health goals.

I came to Tracie wishing to regulate my appetite, have more energy, increase my sense of well-being, allieviate digestion problems, and recalibrate a healthier metabolism after years of damaging dieting. I am achieving these goals with more stability every day using food as my health catalyst and metabolic medicine. At first, it took dedication, patience, and involved trusting Tracie. As I started to see and feel my body construct better health with nutritional materials, I knew I was reaping a cornucopia of health. I began to demolish old nutritional beliefs and patterns not serving my health goals. I replaced them with new, nutritional tools and blueprints that actually worked to repair and build better health. I improved my health and quality of life substantially.

I am very grateful for the gift of health Tracie guided me to create for myself. I now know how to fuel my body vehicle for maximum efficiency and function, and Tracie provided me with the education, encouragement, and support to achieve this.

Angie

Sara dropped her soda and pounds!

With no real intentions and my Diet Pepsi in hand, I attended a Lunch n’ Learn hosted by our company’s wellness team. The presenter was Tracie Hittman and with my limited knowledge about nutrition she easily caught my attention, and I knew I wanted to learn more. I joined her program and it was honestly money well spent.

The program included weekly meetings with Tracie, bi-weekly testing, and monthly classes on a variety of topics. I started off by changing when and what I eat. Because you want to keep your blood sugar levels stable throughout the day, it is best to eat every 2-3 hours. I always now have balanced snacks near by which helps me avoid cravings around lunch and dinner time.

Figuring out what to eat was a bigger challenge. Many of the foods I was being told to eat were completely opposite of what society has drilled into our heads for so long. I stick to a balanced diet with protein, fruits, and fat (healthy fat, of course). It isn’t about counting calories or avoiding foods with fat; it’s about looking at the ingredients and avoiding foods with hydrogenated oils, high fructose corn syrup, etc. If you don’t know what an ingredient is, it’s most likely not good for you.

I have lost almost 30 pounds and feel great!

Thanks Tracie!

Sara

Jenny shares her successful conversion!

(This is a message that one of our clients sent out to her contacts.)

Hello all,
Some of you may have heard me talk about the nutrition consultant that I began seeing several months ago. She is now starting a seminar series that I would highly recommend. I am forwarding this on because it is sooo interesting!

So far, this change in my eating habits has helped me feel way more energetic, have less “crashes” after eating, I ENJOY the food I eat, I have learned a ton of delicious new recipes, I don’t feel guilty about what I’m eating and I am not eating so much processed, junk-filled food! I’ve even lost weight! Also, I’ve decreased my cravings and feel satisfied when I’m done eating. Overall, I just feel better!

It is really amazing what Tracie can teach you about food and it all makes sense. I no longer read calorie and fat content, but instead I read the ingredients. My rule of thumb is if I can’t pronounce the word, then I don’t eat it. ;-)

Oh, and Steve really likes food too so that makes it so much easier!

Jenny

Lisa gains energy and drops depression.

When I went to Tracie, I was in a panic mode. No matter how I ate, I was consistently gaining a pound a week or so. I already knew I had Hashimoto’s thyroiditis, but doctors weren’t putting me on medicine yet to deal with it. I also felt lethargic, slightly depressed, irritable and often couldn’t sleep at night.

Not only did Tracie get me eating healthier—which immediately helped me feel better—she hooked me up with a doctor who understood thyroid issues and prescribed the right medicine. Now I’m losing weight, feeling positive and having all the energy I need to get through the day.

Although my journey is continuing because it took years for me to get to this point, I am making much better choices, getting closer to my health goals and feeling like I’m in control for the first time in years.

Thank you, Tracie!

Lisa

Amy loses pounds and headaches.

Working with Tracie is a wonderful experience! She has helped me make some important lifestyle changes. I have already seen an increase in energy, a decrease in headaches, and have lost over 10 pounds. I would recommend Tracie to anyone looking to improve their health and well-being.